BENTON — On Tuesday night, the McCracken County Mustangs added their second win in the early spring campaign with a 14-0 five-inning victory over the Marshall County Marshals at Preston Cope Field. Seniors Miller Green and Trace Cressler led the team with four hits apiece.
“We went into the game with a clear purpose, to produce hits, and that’s what we did as a team,” Cressler said. “I was just doing my part as a player.”
Cressler went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI, while teammate Green ripped a solo shot in the top of the third inning, collecting four RBI while going 4-for-5.
“I thought we had a great team win; we put the bats and pitching together,” Green said. “We have come far from August as a team, and I expect great things for the future.”
Caleb Ehling, who appeared in relief and worked two innings, earned the win for McCracken County. The left-handed hurler allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out three on 28 pitches.
Green received the nod for the start. He worked two innings, allowing one hit and one walk and striking out four on 47 pitches. Alex Calhoun closed the contest for the Mustangs, working an inning on 22 pitches, striking out three and allowing one hit.
Reese Oakley started for the Marshals and took the loss, working over three innings on 86 pitches. Oakley allowed six hits and seven runs (four earned) while walking six and striking out zero. Jace Driver and Sam Morgan appeared in relief for Marshall County.
Driver pitched one inning, allowing two hits and four runs (earned) while walking two and striking out one on 43 pitches. Morgan finished the contest, allowing four hits, three runs (earned), and one walk on 24 pitches.
Despite hits on both sides of the diamond and runners in scoring position, the game remained scoreless until the third, when Green knocked a solo shot to center field to clear the wall, giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead. Weston Miller worked a four-pitch walk, and Scout Moffatt drew a seven-pitch walk. However, McCracken County could not add to the scoreboard as the inning ended with a two-out fielder’s choice.
The Mustangs plated six runs in the top of the fourth inning. Cressler led with a scorching double to center field on a 2-1 count. Cressler quickly found himself at third on an error by the Marshals. Griffin Cantrell drew a four-pitch walk. With one out, Green singled on a hard ground ball to center, allowing Cressler to make it a 2-0 ballgame and advancing Cantrell into scoring position at third base.
The inning continued as Jude Farley reached on an error by the Marshals, scoring Cantrell. Green scored on a wild pitch, allowing the Mustangs to pull ahead 4-0 with one out. A pitch hit Eli James to load the bases before an RBI single by Scout Moffatt made it a 5-0 game. With two outs, Cressler, in his second AB in the inning, singled to center, scoring Miller and James, giving the Mustangs a comfortable 7-0 lead.
Marshall County’s Gavin Clark singled in the bottom of the fourth and stole second base, but he was left stranded as Driver popped out into foul territory. Green snagged it against the netting, and Riley Henson struck out against Ehling on four pitches.
Green led off the top of the fifth inning with a nine-pitch at-bat, resulting in a line drive triple to center field. A sacrifice fly from Farley to right field allowed the speedster Green to advance home, making it 8-0. McCracken County loaded the bases once again—Miller drew a walk, James was hit a second time, and a pitch hit Moffatt. Caden Kern knocked a fly ball to first base, right in no-man’s land, allowing Miller to score and advance the runners as Kern was safely at first base, making it a 9-0 game.
Cressler continued to dominate against the Marshals with a hot bat, singling to short, scoring James. Moffatt scored on a wild pitch before Ehling knocked an RBI single to center field, scoring Kern. The final two runs came courtesy of Green, who singled to center field. Green advanced to second base on the error by Marshall County, scoring Braden Casebier and Ehling to make it 14-0.
During the bottom of the fifth inning, Ty Swoope knocked a base hit to center field. With one out, Maddox Cope hit a ground ball and reached on an error by the Mustangs. However, Cope and Swoope were left on base as Calhoun struck out Clayton Wyatt and Kannon Dunn to end the contest.
Green finished with four hits, Cressler with four hits, Ehling with two, Moffatt with one, and Kern with
Oakey, Clark, and Swoope collected a hit for Marshall County.
UP NEXT: No. 2 McCracken County will travel to Louisville for the weekend to face Pleasure Ridge Park, No. 1 Trinity, and No. 3 Boyd County. Marshall County will travel to Lyon County to face the No. 7 Lyons at Lee S. Jones.
MCCRACKEN COUNTY 14, MARSHALL COUNTY 0
MCHS 0 0 1 6 7 X X — 14 12 2
MCHS 0 0 0 0 0 X X — 0 3 3
WP: C. Ehling (1-0); LP: R. Oakley (0-1)
2B: MCHS — T. Cressler 2; MCHS — R. Oakley
3B: MCHS — M. Green
HR: MCHS — M. Green
TB: MCHS — M. Green 9, T. Cressler 6, C. Ehling 2, C. Kern 1, S. Moffatt 1; MCHS — R. Oakley 2, G. Clark 1, T. Swoope 1
HBP: MCHS — E. James 2, S. Moffatt, W. Miller
SF: MCHS — J. Farley
SB: MCHS — B. Casebier, C. Ehling, M. Green, T. Cressler; MCHS — G. Clark
E: MCHS — A. Farmer, J. Farley; MCHS — R. Oakley 2, C. Wyatt
RECORD: MCCRACKEN CO (2-0); MARSHALL COUNTY (0-1)